WEBVTT >> PART ONE CRIME IS DIVIDEDINTO TWO CATEGORIES.ANDREW: OVERALL, SERIOUS CRIMEWAS DOWN IN THE CITY IN 2017.BUT THE HUMAN TOLL FROMHOMICIDES WAS ON DISPLAY INFRONT OF COUNCIL TODAY, VICE-- COUNCIL TODAY.>> I TOTALLY APPRECIATE IT AND IKNOW THE FAMILIES DO US NOTLOOKING AT THESE LIKESTATISTICS.THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS IN THEIRLIVES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED..ANDREW: 71 PEOPLE WERE KILLED INTHE CITY LAST YEAR UP FROM 62THE YEAR BEFORE.BUT THEY'RE NOT OUT OF LINE WITHWHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PASTFEW YEARS.AND OTHER CITIES AREEXPERIENCING MUCH WORSE.>> ESPECIALLY IN THE TOTALNUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOT, WE HAVEBUCKED THE TREND, WE'RE GOING INTHE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.WE DON'T WANT TO BE TOO OVERCONFIDENT, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WEHAVE SOLID STRATEGIES.ANDREW: COLUMBUS ANDINDIANAPOLIS SAW HOMICIDE RATESAT ALL-TIME HIGHS.ST. LOUIS AND NASHVILLE BROKE20-YEAR RECORDS LAST YEAR.A COUPLE THINGS WERE POINTED OUTHERE AT CITY HALL TODAY A COUPLEANOMALIES IN THE CRIME STATISTICNUMBERS.THERE WERE BIG SPIKES INSHOOTINGS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCHOF LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF THEMILD WEATHER SEEN DURING THOSETWO MONTHS.ALSO, THE CAMEO NIGHT CLUBSHOOTING WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 17SHOOTINGS AND TWO HOMICIDEVICTIMS ALL AT ONCE.SHOT SPOTTER IS GETTING SOME OFTHE CREDIT FOR HELPING CURBCRIME.IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT LETSPOLICE KNOW WHEN A SHOT IS FIREDAND RESPOND EVEN IF NO ONE CALLS911.>> THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT OURBAD GUYS KNOW SHOT SPOTTER ISOUT THERE.INSTEAD OF ONLY RESPONDING ON15% OF SHOOTING ACTIVITY, WERESPOND TO 100%.ONE THING THAT SHOT SPOTTERALLOWS US TO DO IS MAKE SURE THECOMMUNITY KNOWS WE CARE.ANDREW: THEY HOPE TO SEE MOREREDUCTIONS IN SHOOTINGS IN 2018.

Cincinnati police think they’re moving in the right direction on crime. Police leaders unveiled 2017 year-end crime statistics in front of the city council's law and public safety committee Monday.

Overall, serious crime was down in the city in 2017. These are the kind of crimes that are required to be reported to the FBI for national crime statistics.

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There were 71 homicides in the city in 2017, which was an increase from 2016. But police say those numbers are not out of line with trends the city has experienced over the past few years.

Cincinnati did not see increases nearly as dramatic as other cities in the region.

“Especially in the total number of people shot we’ve bucked the trend, we’re going in the opposite direction. We don’t want to be too over confident, but we feel like we have solid strategies,” said Assistant Police Chief Paul Neudigate.

Columbus and Indianapolis saw homicide rates at all-time highs in 2017, and St. Louis and Nashville broke 20-year records last year.

Shot Spotter is getting some of the credit. It’s new technology that alerts police when a shot is fired so that they can respond – even if no one calls 911.

“There is no doubt that our bad guys know Shot Spotter is out there,” Neudigate said.

By responding to shots-fired incidents, even if no one was hurt, police hope to get more guns off the street and prevent deadly shootings.

“One thing that Shot Spotter allows us to do is make sure the community knows we care,” Neudigate said.